The Written Voice
by pixieweasley
Summary: Bella is on her own for the first time in 21 years! Desperately seeking herself, she struggles to find her voice as a writer and herself as a person. Watch her stride through giant octopi, fall in love with an entrancing stranger and all in between.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The wind blows through a sunlit window on the third floor of Sunning Towers, a rather cheerful name for so dismal a day…and mood.

The gust floated across the brightly painted room to blow a few pages of the desk at which she sat copiously writing the story that would allow her to stake her claim in the great literary canon… or not.

You see Bella Swan had been slaving at her typewriter for almost two hours. Barely noticing the rising of the sun or the falling pages of her manuscript, straining her eyes as if to make the letters materialize on the page.

Sensing defeat she rose from her chair, shaking out her now dry, wavy brown hair as she walked to her empty bedroom. The room consisted of a mattress and eight unpacked boxes stuffed with clothes, sheets and other miscellaneous objects that begged for release.

Glancing at her wrist watch Bella decided it was late enough for her morning jog…


	2. Observations

Observations

The feel of the asphalt beneath my feet, combined with the chill of the morning air was exactly what I needed. My joints ached as they began to hit the pavement, slowly warming up in the early morning sun.

Just when I thought I'd finally overcome whatever mental wall it was that blocked me, I get stuck again. Maybe I should just scrap the entire altogether! Aargh!

My only dream, my only passion was to write and now when I finally can, I just can't… I physically cannot type a single letter!

Personally I always found that jogging helps to clear up my mind and just allows me think freely, sadly today this was so not going the way I planned. As I get older, note I say this at the ripe old age of 22, I find that well routine fits well with me. The jog had ended much faster than I had intended, but since I so desperately need some form of comfort I stopped of at this little café, aptly christened "The Little Café" as I do every other morning before I need to get ready for work. Note the routine… I really to need a life.

As I walked in the front doors I glanced around noticing the usual early morning customers, and greeted most; Peter who was always out walking his dog, both of them were reaching the twilight years of their lives. Peter was just a sweet old man, his wife had died years ago and he'd never remarried, and the company he kept went by the name of Denver, his brown Dashund who liked to think he was a Husky. Strange dog.

"A black tea and pain au chocolat?" asked Wendy the waitress.

"Wendy you are a lifesaver! If I ever finish this book you're getting 50% of the royalties!" I think I may have been a tad bit to exuberant but alas the woman's got a memory like a steel trap! But yet again as an aside, she knows this only because I order the same darn thing everyday.

The other inhabitants of the café included the older couple Mary and Roger sat in their little booth sipping their tea as they read the paper, they did this every morning. Both had retired 10 years ago from the Navy, and as they said, they were enjoying what little they had left of their lives.

Sometimes I wonder how is it that all the people I know are erm…well retired. Don't get me wrong the ancient ones are awesome, they just have so many interesting stories and so much experience… it makes me think that maybe I should go out and get some of that thing called a life…but I'm too chicken shit. Oh well, at least I could live vicariously through my writing, that's if I ever finish anything.

Grabbing the morning paper of the stand I headed of to a table facing the street, I liked to observe people. I was sort of the Richard Attenborough, not of the literary canon but definitely of this café!

As I attempted to absorb the current happenings of the world, a sparkle or a shine of some sort caught my eye, and naturally being attracted to sparkly things I looked up to find a bronze haired Greek god staring back at me. He quickly looked back down with what I would describe as a sheepish expression… sigh I'm awesome when I get all writer-y with my adjectives.

After waiting what I thought was a considerable length of time, I shot a quick long at the bronze haired stranger only to find his deep green eyes light up in shock as he tried to look nonchalant and glance around the rest of the diner, his connecting with mine only in passing. Hehee a really clever trick, one that I have used ever so often. The look that pretty much began and ended every other relationship I've had, a glance and it was all over.

As I ate my croissant and read the paper I tried to concentrate on the sole task of averting my eyes from the Greek god… sensing a losing battle I drained my tea and headed out the door, deciding on a stroll back to my apartment. I still had two hours before I had to head of to the dreaded office and face the even more dreaded students.

Instead of ruminating on scenarios for the book, my mind raced unwillingly ahead of me creating elaborate scenes in which a golden haired, green eyed Greek god sweeps me of my feet. Ending not just my writers block but also my infinitely long chapter titled "Single" in the really dull book of my life.

Tomorrow is a new day Bella so stop dreaming and get to work! Green pools of salty goodness… Dumbass. I hate my mind!


	3. Unspoken Threats

He watched the brown haired beauty rise from her seat and set of in a brisk walk along the street.

It had been long…perhaps too long since he had felt his heart pound and his pulse race at the mere sight of a woman.

The runner…well she certainly was different…something indescribable…

And in that moment Edward Cullen resolved to find out all he could about the brunette.

________________________________________________________________________

Bella POV

I tripped no less than six times up the three flights of stairs to my apartment, once even tripping up! Which, in all fairness, pretty much a new high for me!

Grabbing my towel on the way into the shower, I quickly washed out my hair with my favourite lavender scented shampoo, it really did have a calming effect…wither that or the power of suggestion is strong in me! As I climbed out the shower, my cell began to ring, I assumed it was Alice, and decided to call her back after I dressed. After pulling on my sundress and a pair of flats, placing on one shoe before hopping around my bedroom trying to find that infernal cell phone. At times I loved it and others; well I'd happily chuck it out the window!

Recognizing the ring tone I answered the call without any preamble, "Sup Bitch! Yeah be there in ten. Err how about we meet at my office? Cool, see you in a bit!"

My best friend and stalker Alice Brandon called to remind me of our 'date'. She was, in all senses of the word, my homey. And we had a thing for gangster talk when we were together…don't ask; she really did bring out the weird in me!

I quickly replayed my messages on the answering machine as I gathered my bag and laptop, that's when I heard the voice stream out,

_You looked amazing this morning. I see you're running everyday…maybe one day I'll join you. Soon baby…soon._Click. _You have no new messages. To listen to your-_

I quickly unplugged the machine, staring at it… maybe I hoped that it would erase the message no from the machine but from existing at all. Pushing the message and the eerie-ness to the back of my mind, I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door. Sometimes life is a horror movie, you hear that phone ringing and you know you shouldn't pick it up, but you do! Then you die. Crap.

Driving through the lush gardens surrounding the campus of Fremont University, or more commonly known to the students and myself as "FU!", and feeling the sun blaze onto my exposed skin, well honestly I just had to laugh. I can be such a baby at times! There was no reason to get freaked out, the message was harmless, there's no way he'd try anything, well not again.

Moving along the corridor, I made my way to the venue at which I felt my very soul leave. Okay slightly dramatic I know, but oh well! Honestly I never thought it was possible to hate an institute of higher learning, it was the gateway to freedom and all that but to me it felt like a prison. To be honest I loved the place, the vibe, the students and even the faculty had grown on me, and perhaps it's just my current state of mind… stupid mind.

"Bella!" screamed Alice as she slammed into me.

"Oomph! Ouch. Nice Alice, a big ass bruise is just what I needed to complete my ensemble." I said, whilst rubbing my now sore arm.

"Sigh, that's exactly what I missed, your awesome lack of humour." Retorted Alice.

With a smile, I latched onto Alice's arm steering me towards our joint office. As Masters Candidates, that's the best the University would offer us. Not that I'm complaining 'cos it did get afternoon sun, I have a thing for it, and I get to share it with my homey!

Grabbing a chair, I turned it to face Alice whilst she brought in her divine cinnamon buns, she swears she makes them from scratch, and I know her long enough to happily accept the lie.

"So before we get down to work, how was last night?", I asked just after I scalded my tongue with really hot tea.

"Aww Bells he's just amazing! And okay, I know that was only our third date but I am so in love with him!" gushed Alice, and I swear she had actual tears in her eyes!

This was definitely new! Alice and I had pretty much sworn of the male species, if for no other reason than their impossibility to live up to even a tenth of our fictional favourites…Mr…Darcy…sigh.

Alice and I eventually made tracks to the Weitzman Hall at one pm for the joint lecture we were giving, and after the minor hiccup of me tripping on nothingness and into the venue, the rest of the hour went well.

Around four thirty I finished up my proposal, or at least a version of my proposal for my Masters, I live in hope they accept it, during my Honours year, yeah well that wasn't fun and I totally suck at redrafts!

I hadn't mentioned the message to Alice, I think mostly because she was in such a great mood I didn't want to kill if for her, and I know the instant I told her she'd start the freaking. Eventually deciding it was late enough I grabbed my things and headed for home, Alice had already left for date number four with a Mr Hale, the man she declared that she would marry…I wait with bated breath…not.

As I walked into my apartment, the need for food became overwhelming, I didn't realise how hungry I was…maybe I eat too much, oh well, building that bridge!

Since I couldn't cook anything other than pasta, which pretty much decided supper. I did my little ass dance as I opened a bottle of pasta sauce; I get really happy when the time to eat gets closer! And as fate would have it my phone rang, I skipped across the apartment to get it, I know skipped but still I had food coming!

I grabbed the phone of the box in the living room, 'Hello!", note I was in a good mood and I just assumed it was Alice and above mentioned food.

"Hey baby…"

"What do you want James? I've asked you repeatedly to stop calling me!" I tried to sound more annoyed and in control, than express my actual feeling…I was terrified.

"Come on baby, when are you gonna just get over it. Besides I miss you-" said James.

"Just shut up! I don't want anything to do with you James. What we had was over a long time ago." I couldn't stop the tremble creeping into my voice.

"Well, that wasn't very nice." James laughed softly into the phone.

"Please…just leave me alone James." My voice had lost any sort of control, I pretty much whimpered into the phone.

"Okay baby. For tonight I will. Before I go…you looked beautiful in that white dress." And then he hung up.

The phone dropped from my hand as I struggled to get my thoughts together. For tonight…was that a threat? Maybe I should just ignore it, what could he do to me…he only just knew where I lived...and worked…what the hell am I going to do!

I stumbled as I dropped to pick up the phone, in the background I could here the pots overflowing but I couldn't do anything about it, not now.

Though my fingers refused to work I eventually managed to dial the number, he answered on the third ring, "Hey Bells-bottoms! What can I do for you?"

"Err hey…err I need you. Could you come over as soon as you can?"

"I'll be there in ten."

And the phone went dead.


End file.
